The last few decades have been a period of transition from powerful single ultrahigh frequency (UHF) radiation sources such as magnetrons, klystrons, traveling wave lamps, and so on to distributed radiation sources consisting of a plurality of single solid-state elements. Similar developments occur with lamps in the light and ultraviolet ranges as well. Powerful single lamps are increasingly replaced with distributed light-emitting diode systems. It is common knowledge that a plurality of single solid-state UHF elements or light-emitting diodes improves the reliability and economic efficiency of the systems many times over. This invention can be used with a high effect specifically for concentrating radiation emitted by such and any other distributed radiation systems consisting of single elements.
A variety of inventions are used in prior art to transmit radiation from a source to an object. In particular, a prior art device for treating liquids with ultraviolet radiation disclosed in Russian Patent RU 2,177,452, published on Dec. 27, 2001, comprises a hollow outer cylindrical shell provided with orifices at the base thereof and an inlet and outlet pipes connected thereto, and a hollow inner cylindrical shell provided with stiffening ribs and arranged coaxially with the outer shell; ultraviolet lamps placed in housings of a material transparent to ultraviolet radiation in the annular gap between the shells parallel to the generatrices thereof and inserted into the orifices at the base of the outer shell, and flux generating means. The lamps are spaced in the annular gap along concentric circles, the inlet and outlet pipes are coaxial with the shells, and the flux generating means are provided on the directrixes of the inner shall on the outer side thereof. The prior art device is difficult to manufacture technologically and, therefore, has a high prime cost; besides, the lamps used in it have a low economic efficiency and reliability.
The closest related prior art of this invention is a device for transmitting radiation from a source to an object that is disclosed in Russian Application RU 2009133146 published on Mar. 10, 2011. The device comprises a radiation source placed in a shielded chamber together with object positioning means and two reflectors designed as truncated segments of a spherical surface and placed opposite one another at a distance equal to the radius of the spherical surface, the object positioning means being placed in the combined focal area of both reflectors, and the radiation source being provided in the aperture plane of either of the reflectors.
The device is disadvantageous because radiation is transmitted from the source to the object with an insufficient efficiency, radiation is concentrated extremely unevenly, the combined focal area is not large enough, and the radiation power cannot be varied unless the radiation source itself is replaced.